PHOENIX, AZ — On the same day that the Texas Rangers had to remove Adolis Garcia and Max Scherzer from the World Series roster due to injury, the Rangers responded with an explosive performance to put them on the brink of the franchise’s first World Series title with a dominant 11-7 victory in Game 4.
The Rangers’ bats were red hot early as Texas forced the Diamondbacks to cycle through three different pitchers in the first three innings. During the offensive onslaught, Texas put up ten runs to take an early 10-0 advantage and blow the game wide open.
Former Texas Tech Red Raider Josh Jung kickstarted the Ranger offense with a double in the Top of the 2nd. He would score off a wild pitch from Miguel Castro two batters later. After Leody Taveras walked and Travis Jankowski singled to left, Marcus Semien tripled to score two more. A second pitching change in the 2nd inning brought Corey Seager to the plate. Seager then hit a 431-foot bomb to center field to score another two runs. The Rangers led 5-0 after two.
Jung and Nathaniel Lowe singled to start off the 3rd inning. After an error by Arizona moved Jung and Lowe to second and third, Jankowski hit a 2-RBI double to right field. Semien followed up his first-inning triple with one giant swing of his bat. He hit a 383-foot moon shot to left-center for an additional three runs. The offensive onslaught finally ended with the Rangers up after three, 10-0.
Arizona managed to battle back in the 8th and 9th innings with a six-run rally, but the deficit was too great to overcome. The Rangers Andrew Heaney received the win on the mound with five innings pitched, four hits allowed, one earned run, three strikeouts, and two walks. Joe Mantiply received the loss with only 1.1 innings pitched.
Before Game 4 began, many Texas fans dreaded the loss of Garcia and Scherzer. Garcia, although no longer on the World Series roster, had words for his teammates before the game. His speech inspired his teammates to go out there and give it their all, and it worked.
“He was vulnerable, Rangers shortstop Corey Seager said after the win. “That’s hard to do. To be able to come in, knowing the headspace he’s in, not being able to help us and still contribute. That’s a hard thing to do, and he did a great job.”
The Rangers now lead the Diamondbacks 3-1 in this World Series and are on the brink of the franchise’s first title in Texas’s 62-year existence. Game 5 will be on Wednesday, November 1, at Chase Field in downtown Phoenix. First pitch is slotted for 7:03 p.m. Nathan Eovaldi will take the mound for the Rangers and will face off against Zac Gallen for the D-Backs.
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